By Tom Frary
1st-Naas, €15,000, Mdn, 6-27, 2yo, f, 6fT, 1:10.44, g/f.
SECRET THOUGHTS (f, 2, War Front–Chicquita {Ire} {Hwt. Older Mare-Ire at 11-14f, G1SW-Ire, G1SP-Eng & Fr, $859,094}, by Montjeu {Ire}), runner-up on debut over seven furlongs at Leopardstown June 7, was sent up to keep the leader and other 7-4 joint-favourite Rita Levi (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) honest from the outset. Finally getting the better of that rival approaching the furlong pole, the first foal out of the G1 Irish Oaks heroine Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) stayed on to win by a head. Jockey Donnacha O'Brien said, “She's a lovely filly and a little bit green and she probably needed the last run fitness-wise more than some of ours, but she stepped up nicely and I like her. This maiden came up on a bit of nice ground, at a decent track, so it suited her well and it's nice to see her being able to do it over six. Her mother was obviously famously a bit quirky and War Fronts can sometimes be a little bit the same. She's keeping it under wraps at the minute, so hopefully we can keep her like that.” Chicquita, who also finished runner-up in the G1 Prix de Diane and has a yearling full-sister to the winner and was bred to American Pharoah for 2018, is a half to last week's G2 Ribblesdale S. scorer Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). The dam was purchased from the Paul Makin dispersal for €6million at Goffs November and is related to the G1 English, Irish and Yorkshire Oaks heroine Alexandrova (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) and her full-brother Masterofthehorse (Ire) who was third to Sea the Stars (Ire) in the 2009 G1 Epsom Derby. This is also the family of the G1 Irish Derby runner-up Golden Sword (GB) (High Chaparral {Ire}) and his G1 Melbourne Cup-winning full-brother Rekindling (GB). Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $14,709. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
O-Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien.
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